Beautifully Vulnerable
by bittersweetblonde
Summary: Sometimes all you need is a hug and a few kind words.


Hi, I'm back again with another one-shot! Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed my last one! This is a bit of a Brucas friendship one set around the beginning of S6. Hope you enjoy! x

* * *

**Beautifully Vulnerable.**

They say that the happiest people are usually the saddest. A good few years ago, I wouldn't have believed that, but now as I sit here feeling sadder than I've ever felt, I know it to be true. When I was in High School, I was this carefree, bubbly cheerleader, the smile I wore on a daily basis was a real one and all my friends and I were on the same page in our lives. Granted there were some things I didn't like about myself back then, my love for bitchiness, boys and sex being some of them, but it's all part of being a teenager and growing up. Uh, growing up. I shudder just thinking of those last two words. You see that's where everything changed for me. As a kid and like every kid, I wanted to be old before my time. I used to wear heels and make up before I'd reached double figures in age and I was always saying how I wanted to be a fashion designer. Not only that, but I always imagined meeting the man of my dreams, marrying him and having a family. When I was younger I wanted to be an adult and now I am one, I just want to be a child. Yeah life's certainly screwed up!

* * *

I got my dreams, but they weren't what I expected them to be. I became the fashion designer, but my Mom pulled all the strings where that was concerned. I met the man of my dreams, but he broke my heart twice with my best friend (although I'm happy for them both, we just weren't meant to be) and I fostered a baby, but she's just recently flown back home after surgery.

* * *

So now I'm sat alone in my empty house while all my friends are sat in there's with kids or partners. We're no longer all on that same page we were back in High School, or rather I'm not. They've all moved on and I'm just stuck watching them move forward.

* * *

Hearing a knock at the door pulls me from my thought's and I frown as I see Lucas walk in. "Hey, what are you doing here?" I ask as he sits down next to me.

"Just thought I'd come see how you were doing?" He replies and I let out a sigh.

I'd been attacked in my clothes shop a few weeks ago, hadn't actually told anybody the truth about it at first and had been trying not to think of it since.

"Luke I'm fine honestly, you don't have to keep checking on me." I tell him.

"Yes I do, You're my friend Brooke and you're Peyton's best friend. We care about you and seeing as you didn't take us up on the offer of staying at ours, we're gonna keep popping over here to make sure you're ok." He explains.

"Not if I start locking the door." I joke and then he looks at me seriously.

"You should start doing that anyway." He says and I just roll my eyes.

"You're starting to sound like your fiancée." I reply and he gives a little laugh.

"Well we can't both be wrong and hey, I seem to remember just how vigilante you both were when psycho Derek was around." He tries and I close my eyes at the memory and inwardly panic. I really should start locking the door.

"Ok fine, I'll lock the door. Now moving swiftly on, can I get you a coffee or anything?" I ask suddenly realising my manners had vanished since he'd walked into the house.

"Yeah a coffee would be great thanks." He answers and I get up and head to the kitchen.

It's only when I go to grab the milk out of the fridge that I notice my hand shaking and when I go for a mug it's out of my hands before it's in them!

"Shit!" I curse and go to pick up the pieces, but Luke's sprung up and got his hand on my shoulder in an instant.

"Leave it, you're shaking. Let me clear this up and make you a drink...a strong one at that." He says and I just give a sigh and leave him to it.

* * *

It's not like me to hide how I'm feeling or at least it never used to be. In the past I was an open book. Ask me how I felt & you'd get a range of answers, most of the time upbeat ones like 'happy', 'excited' and 'good', but there was the occasional time you'd hear low ones like 'sad', 'down' and 'pissed off'. It all changed when I went to New York though, I just shut off from telling people how I was really feeling and I'd been like it ever since.

* * *

"Here." Lucas says pulling me from my thought's as he hands me a glass of clear liquid, taking a gulp I realise it's vodka and I watch as he sits down next to me.

"Where's Peyton tonight?" I ask.

"Working, but she gave me strict instructions to come here and report back to her." He replies and I give a slight laugh.

"I swear me and her have swapped lives as we've got older." I say and Luke looks confused. "Well she always used to be the mopey, whiney one that listened to depressing music and shut herself off from the world and I was the complete opposite! We've switched now...well I've not got to the depressing music stage yet, but the rest is pretty much the same." I explain and he just looks at me sympathetically.

"What happened Brooke? I mean I can understand you going in on yourself since the incident at the store, but before that you were walking around with a fake smile and making out you were fine after Angie had gone home when we could all see you weren't. Why can't you open up to us?" He asks and I sigh before placing my drink on the coffee table and look at him, preparing myself to finally let someone in and tell them how I feel.

"When I was in New York, it was a dream come true. I had everything I could possibly want...except for my friends. Granted I had Millie and she was and still is a godsend and I saw you the night of your proposal disaster, but my Mom just wanted me to work and attend events and fashion shows and pose alongside the hottest guy that was around that month, making out we were together when it was all for PR. I never had the time to call any of you guys back here, the only person I saw a lot of was Rachel and that ended in disaster because bitchtoria wanted her fired. In interviews people were telling me how lucky I was to be this young designer with her own company and yeah I was, but I wasn't in control of any of it! Everything, including my personal life was in the hands of Victoria!" I tell him and he nods placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it softly.

"But you got away from all that Brooke, you got away from your Mom too. You came home, set your shop up and done things your way, you got your friends back too and we're always here for you." Lucas says and I close my eyes feeling tears prick at them, not wanting them to fall.

"I know." I reply with a nod. "But you've all moved on." I say. "Naley have Jamie, you and Peyton have just got engaged and moved in together, Millie and Mouth have clicked really well and will probably be the next to get a place of their own...everyone has someone Luke and I'm just stuck watching you all take these next steps in your lives. I'm getting left behind and I feel like I can't talk to you guys because I feel insignificant." I tell him feeling my voice breaking.

"Hey, come on. Come here." He says as he pulls me into him and I just sob as I finally let out what I've been holding in for so long. "Never ever feel like you're insignificant ok because you're not." I hear him tell me and I just cry. "You're fiercely independent Brooke Davis, brilliant and beautiful and brave." He whispers re-telling what he'd written in his book all those years ago and I just give a sarcastic laugh, not believing any of it!

"Yeah right! I'm so independent that I let my Mom take control of everything, so brilliant that I shut my friends out, so beautiful that I'm sat here with panda eyes and so brave that I'm crying on your shoulder. Next you'll be telling me that I changed the world." I choke out.

"You have Brooke and in more ways than one." He says while stroking my arm. "You may have fired Rachel under your Mom's orders, but you saved her from the dark road she was going down just like you saved baby Angie and looked after her and you also saved Millie from bitchtoria by bringing her here to work with you. You gave Peyton a place to stay when you both came back and you were her rock through all the Lindsey stuff too and I can't tell you the amount of times Jamie speaks about you, that little boy worships you and he still keeps telling me that he's 'taking a stand' if there's something he doesn't want to do. Brooke, I could go on all night..." He says and then suddenly stops, obviously remembering like me how he's used that line in the past. "I could though, I could go on all night telling you what a big heart you have and how you've helped people." He tells me and suddenly I take my head off his shoulder, pull away enough to wipe my eyes and let out a small smile.

"Thank you." I say and he shakes his head.

"It's what friends are for right?" He asks and I nod with a smile.

* * *

Half an hour later and I was feeling much better and more like my old self. I even decided to take Lucas and Peyton up on their previous offer of staying at theirs for a while.

Luke had just helped me take some things over and as I sort them out in the spare room, I hear Peyton come home.

"Hey gorgeous." I hear him greet her.

"Hey handsome." She replies and I hear them kiss.

"How was work?" He asks and she gives a tired mumble.

"How was Brooke?" She questions and I smile to myself.

"Why don't you find out for yourself." He tells her and there was a silence, I guess she must be confused so I finally decide to show my face. "Meet our new room mate babe." Lucas tells her and she turns around hearing my footsteps and literally runs and hugs me!

"Hey best friend." I whisper.

"I'm so glad you're here!" She says, squeezing me that little bit tighter than normal.

"Me too." I say, suddenly realising how stupid I was earlier with that whole 'insignificant' thing.

* * *

I'm Brooke Davis, at times I'm a daughter, but most of the time I'm a best friend, a Godmother, a friend, a foster mother and a clothing line owner. I'm doing great and the world doesn't stand a chance!


End file.
